Unanswered Question...Could it have been answered?

So........ I never thought I would say this, but in Ives' the Unanswered Question, I actually don't mind the atonal writing for the winds just because I love the strings so damn much. But I've always wondered in the back of my mind whether his goal could have been accomplished while still remaining tonal.

So this brings me to the topic of this thread...

Ives' message in "The Unanswered Question": Could it have accomplished its goal effectively, if at all, had the winds not gone off on a tantrum?

I would like to believe that it could have, however I'm not certain. I would love to hear your thoughts.

On a side note, I once considered composing a piece called "The Answered Question" which does just that... uses that strings that he wrote while making the winds tonal! Never did it because I respect his work and understand why he did what he did, but the idea did cross my mind. :blush:

I'm afraid I don't subscribe to the 'I respect your opinion and everything but I disagree' clan. If you think something's wrong, then say so! You don't have to be apologetic about it. If I write a piece of music that you think is a total piece of tripe, I'd rather hear you say 'it's a load of tripe' than you say 'I can see that you think it's a good piece of music, but I don't like it'. Know what I mean? :lol:

Anywhow. Ives' statement in his "The Unanswered Question" , I think, is one that you should reply to by doing what you said. I would be very interested indeed in your reply. Will it answer the question, though? What question is it that Ives is asking, anyway? Perhaps he is asking "why do I have to write this tonal bathwater instead of writing what I am doing for the winds in this piece?". Perhaps not. My guess is that he is creating a joke. Written in the early 1900's (IIRC before Shostakovich was writing music) it would have been somewhat unusual: was he playing to the politics of the time?; or was he simply being a musical activist and trying to get his contemporaries spurred on to doing something 'new'?

I thank you for your original post. Interesting subject, methinks!

So the question won't be completely unanswered after all! SOMEONE REPLIED!!!! YIPPIE@!!! Anyway, here is what Ives said about the piece: note that it is very serious, no jokes.

"The part of the flute quartet may be taken by two flutes, upper staff, oboe and clarinet, lower staff. The trumpet part may be played by an English horn, an oboe or clarinet, if not playing in

Never heard the piece....

Well then you might want to... it is an amazing piece and certainly a deep and profound experience!

This may interest you Cava,

http://musicmavericks.publicradio.org/feat..._question.html#

That's really cool Chad ! Thanks! LOL, I muted everything but the strings for a couple minutes.... it's beautiful, but I suppose I've come to appreciate the trumpet and winds too much to mute them any longer.

Hear ye, hear ye, I do say that this is the some amazing piece of programmatic music written in the 20th century! Pure brillance!